I had initially, many years ago, invented my basic coil spring device for a completely different field of use, and I have very recently have had unexpectedly great success with my coil spring device in the present field of endeavor, the field of jewelry design and construction, by providing an artist-craftsman who produces various items of necklace designs with an important greatly useful means of protecting the safety and stability of his ornamentation.
I immediately recognized a completely new field of use for my earlier invention when I became familiar with the art and hobby of designing and producing jewelry necklace articles, those ornamental jewelry products which are comprised of a multitude of small components which are placed on a string or fine wire for decorative purposes.
The artist-craftsman who engages in designing and constructing a beaded necklace is always faced with the disconcerting and frustrating problem of seeing many or all of the components placed on a necklace line suddenly and quickly slide off the line at the least accidental action or inaction, or slipping from hand, perhaps destroying a unique and complicated design.
To my knowledge, there has never been any simple device in use, which was easily and quickly attachable to a bead line to protect the intricate design from such destruction.
An artist-craftsman prepares a necklace by carefully string beads, or various decorative components, on a suitable necklace line, and must always be aware of the care with which the work must be done in order to prevent accidental destruction of his work by untoward slippage of components from the line.
Also, there is no device currently available to serve as a means of protecting the bead line from accidental loss during a period of rest by the artist-craftsman, or during a time of unexpected interruption. I have found out that the ease and convenience with which my tension spring device can be applied makes it ideal for quick and temporary placement on a bead line.
My invention, which I refer to as a bead stopper, can be very quickly and easily applied to a bead line, and will hold the line extremely securely between a pair of coil members of the coil spring because of the high tension which the coil spring possesses.
When I recognized the need for my device in the field to which my coil spring suddenly appealed, and developed my method of use and began actual manufacture and sale of my invention, I have had unusual overnight success with the popularity and demand for my invention. I have had orders from all over the country. I have had to appear at various trade shows on behalf of necklace hobbyists, and have been approached by manufacturer's representatives seeking agency rights upon hearing of my invention.
When I had developed my coil spring for another different purpose, I had become aware of the following published references:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,630,316 Foster, Edwin E. issued Mar. 3, 1953 DIN 2097 Ausschuss Federm im Deutschen Normenausschuss Mai 1973
Foster describes a coil spring device of much larger structure than my invention and which is intended for a totally different use. The Foster spring is described as a “Constant Compression Spring”. Foster states in Column 2: “As shown in FIG. 2, movement of the trunnions 13 and 14 toward one another, while the coils 10 are free to move laterally, results in equal resistance or load throughout a wide movement of the trunnions 13 and 14 toward one another” for a “compression” force. Also, the German reference describes a coil spring in FIG. 14 in which the loops are oriented in an opposite direction from those of my device. The result of the opposite orientation would produce a torque completely different from my coil spring and leverage of a completely different value or convenience.